Vicissitude
by Boltera
Summary: In which Castle tells Beckett a story featuring role reversal and love and happy endings. Somewhat. Caskett.


**A/N: I've never written a Castle story before... but my other fandoms are... idk. I'll get back to them at another point. Either way... I hope you enjoy. I hope it isn't too hard to follow or anything, and I hope it is true to character.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.**

* * *

><p>Vicissitude<p>

I wrote a whole story in my mind today.

But then I didn't write it down.

The general premise was about you though. Something like you loved me and wanted me, but it was I that didn't want you. It was like some weird reversal of our roles.

I didn't like it that much.

It was hard to imagine a world where I wasn't madly in love with you, but Mother always said I had an expansive imagination. (She never said it was extraordinary or excellent or even good).

I guess it went like this:

I was still Castle and you were still Kate. (I personally think it sounds better that way, better alliteration. Castle and Kate. Kate and Castle. Kate Castle.) I was still the writer, and you the detective.

The mayor demanded that Richard Castle do some research for his next book. The mayor was a big fan, and tired of waiting for the next bestseller. He needed Castle to find inspiration, and he knew how Castle would love the excitement of catching real murderers. Castle didn't have anything better to do than acquiesce.

Katherine Beckett heard that the mayor was looking for a place to stuff a writer for research. She heard that the writer was Richard Castle. She politely asked her Captain if they could take in this stray writer. He couldn't see why not.

You see, Castle's words held a special place in her heart. But she didn't let anyone know that. She thought that maybe meeting this man she could let him know how he saved her, or something. He deserves to know his effect on people.

So Castle joined the team, and he was more than Kate had ever imagined. At first she was simply attracted to his mind; to those wonderful things he had written. But then he held her in his arms after a tough case and whispered into her ear. Then he brought her coffee and bear claws because he could.

Then she was attracted to everything else.

He was attracted to her too. Any straight man would be. But he didn't need another groupie or girlfriend or wife. He'd already had plenty of those, and was looking to settle down.

But then she taught him the concept of one and done.

But then she caught murderer after murderer and saved family after family and he saw the thanks in the eyes of those she helped.

But then he learned about her mother, a story so real and so heartbreaking that he knew that Nikki Heat's mother would _have_ to be alive because there is no way he could do Kate's story justice.

And he realized he was falling for her just as she had for him. Even though he wasn't looking, she had found him.

(This took much less time than it is taking us. This weird pseudo-Castle, although not immediately head-over-heels for you, is not an idiot. Their will they/won't they phase only lasted a couple months).

And then Kate was shot, just like you. She was lying in a hospital bed (this bed's identical twin) and Castle was holding her hand tight. He told her he loved her, he loved her loved her loved her.

He cried during the day and he cried during the night. He cried when he held his daughter and when his Mother rubbed his back.

He held back the tears when the boys came to visit, but he could tell that they had cried too.

But then Castle told her a story where he had always loved her, and she had always loved him.

(I like that story best. We get to the good parts much, much quicker).

And she opened her eyes, and he kissed her.

I didn't write any farther than that because I wasn't really sure what would happen. They say you write what you know, I guess. I don't know what is going to happen after this.

Things are going to be different now.

But in a good way, Kate, you'll see. We've... we've lost a lot. Too much. You've lost more than any person ever should. But you'll pull through. I will pull you through it.

There's many different ways our story could have been told. This way... the one we're living, this is the one we have. The one we have to deal with, I guess. I'm ok with that, I hope you're ok with that.

I really really want to reach our happy ending.

* * *

><p><strong>Review, please :)<strong>


End file.
